Sony Xperia Z4 Release Confirmed: Late Launch Hinted; Company Stresses on Innovation

Sony may not release its upcoming flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z4, anytime soon despite reports that it could see the light of day in the first half of this year. The company's executives have now confirmed the existence of Xperia Z4 but have hinted a late launch.

It was earlier reported that the Sony Xperia Z4 would be unveiled at the CES 2015 and then the just concluded Mobile World Congress 2015 (MWC 2015) but it didn't happen, disappointing its fans. It is now expected to be released in the second half of the year.

Now, Sony executives have claimed that it wouldn't stick to a 12-month cycle or a release every six months but would come out with a new device only when they have something unique to share.

"Z4 is the next-generation of product that we'll be announcing. No, we haven't [moved to a more traditional 12 month product cycle]. As a general rule you will see some adjustment to the way we phase our products, but we're certainly not going to offer any specific details as to when we are going to bring our next products, beyond these, at this stage," Tim Harrison, Sony's Vice President of Global Communications and PR, was quoted as saying by TrustedReviews.

"At IFA we announced three Z3 series products, the full sized smartphone, the Compact and the Compact Tablet. These are doing really well in the market and there is still quite a considerable amount of interest in those particular products and since we've announced them, we've updated a number of features. We've introduced Remote Play, there are more camera themes and there are more camera apps," he added.

Pierre Perron, Vice President Sony Mobile Western Europe, has revealed that the company wouldn't release devices just for the sake of it but would focus on bringing uniqueness to the brand.

"I don't think this is whether we should or shouldn't be announcing products. It's leading to the fact that the company is focusing more on the consumer experience as opposed to just launching [a device] for the sake of launching, so you'll see this major change in our strategy," Perron told The Inquirer.

"The innovation is not so much about launching and announcing a flagship with more and more megapixels and so on, it's about how can you make consumers' lives more innovative and more relevant as we go forward. This is what it's all about. We are focusing on bringing what is unique to the brand, bringing this content element into our proposition, such as Sony (Xperia) Lounge. This is what you need to understand. We will continue to launch beautiful hardware but it's not the only thing anymore."